Garment hanger



July 6, 1954 M BROCK 2,682,978

GARMENT HANGER Filed May 4, 1953 INVENTOR.

W W {BTW/f A TTORNE Y Patented July 6, l954 GARMENT HANGER 'Margaret M. Brock, New York, N. Y. Application May 4, 1953, Serial No. 352,754

4 Claims.

This invention relates to garment hangers, and particularly to those of the character which are telescopically collapsible or adjustable, or capable of being materially reduced in size to I not only accommodate them to garments of various sizes, but to enable them to be carried or contained in small space, thus rendering them convenient for travelling.

In my Patent No. 2,547,436, dated April 3, 1951, is shown a garment hanger of this character, and the object of the present invention is to provide certain improvements thereon, and particularly relating to means by which the relatively movable parts of the hanger will retain their positions of adjustment.

More particularly, the invention contemplates the provision of a garment hanger having a frame composed of wire or metallic rod and having a central portion hung from a suspension hook and receiving end portions which are 'slidably adjustable toward one another on the central portion to thereby either reduce the overall size of the hanger or else extend it to full or intermediate size as required by the particular garments to be accommodated on it. The invention also contemplates the provision of means on the hanger by which a frictional engagement or braking action is provided between the relatively movable parts'of the hanger to thereby always retain the same in any selected position of adjustment. In addition, stop means is provided on the hanger parts to limit the extension of the partsand enable the same to resist bending or buckling strain when a garment is accommodated on it.

With these and other objects to be hereinafter set forth, in view, I have devised the arrangement of parts to be described and more particularly pointed out in the claims appended hereto.

In the accompanying drawing, wherein an illustrative embodiment of the invention is disclosed,

.Fig: 1 is a front elevation of a garment hanger constructed in accordance with the invention, and shown in its extended or fully open position;

Fig. 2 is a top plan view of the'friction device or brake;

Fig. 3 is a sectional view, taken substantially on the line 3-3 of Fig. 2, looking in the direction of the arrows;

Fig. 4 is a detail view of two of the overlapped Fig. 6 is a sectional view taken substantially on the line 6-6 of Fig. 4, looking in the direction of the arrows.

Referring to the drawing, it will be noted that the hanger consists of a triangular frame composed of four main wire elements, namely, the central supporting member I, the end members 2 and 3, and the suspension hook I. All of these parts of the hanger are preferably composed of relatively stiff wire which may be bent to the desired shapes by known wire-forming machinery. The central supporting member I consists of a single piece of wire, and is formed with the two legs 4 and 5 extending divergently from the centrally located loop 6 which receives a loop 8 formed on the lower end of the suspension hook I. At the free end of each of the legs 4 and 5 is formed a guide loop or eye 9, and adjacent to each of the loops or eyes 9 is provided a flattened part II] constituting a stop for a loop Il formed at the end of the legs I2 on each of the end members 2 and 3.

The end members 2 and 3 are both alike in construction, each of the end members consisting of a bent length of wire which may be described as being roughly U-shaped, having a lower longer leg I3 or I3a and an upper shorter leg I2. The loop or eye II is formed at the end of the leg I2, and at the end of the long leg is formed a laterally-bent guide loop or eye I4.

In the assembled position of the parts of the V hanger, it will be observed that each of the short parts of the hanger, showing the stop provided I on one of the parts;

Fig. 5 is a sectional view, taken substantially on the line 5-5 of Fig. 4, looking in the direction of the arrows; and

legs I2 on the end members 2 and 3, extends and is guided through one of the loops or eyes 9 on the legs 4 and 5 of the centralmember I. It will be noted that the flattened portions ID on each of the legs 4 and 5 act as stops or abutments for the eyes II as seen in Fig. 1, thus limiting the relative movement of the parts I, 2 and 3 when they are moved to the open or distended position of the hanger, which is the position shown in Fig. 1. Also by the provision of these stops IS, the points of the engagement of the loops I0 and I I with the legs 5 and I2 are spaced apart, so that any tendency of the upper portions of the hanger to buckle near these points is avoided.

It will be noted that the legs 4 and 5 extend respectively through the loops or eyes Ill. The long leg I3 of one of the end members extends through the guide loop I4 on the companion hanger.

portions IE and ll formed on the leg 13a. The sleeve is longitudinally split as indicated at 18 to thereby provide two jaws, indicated respectively at l9 and 20, which embrace the leg I3 between them. These jaws l9 and 20 clamp the leg 13 firmly, yet the frictional pressure imposed is not sufiicient to prevent the legs [3 and I301, from being relatively moved to or from one another when a certain amount of manual force is imposed upon them. The sleeve 15 thus constitutes a brake and tends to hold the legs l3 and 13a in any desired overlapping position, while also tending to materially strengthen the crossbar of the hanger, composed of the two legs 7 l3 and I311.

The open or extended position of the hanger is shown in Fig. 1, wherein it will be seen that the hanger, when so extended, is of the normal shape and size of the conventional wire coat of the hanger or to collapse or telescope it compactly for packing it in a handbag or-otherwise carrying it, the end members 2 and 3-are pushed inwardly or toward one another to either the limit of such movementor to any extent desired to reduce the hanger to the required size. The sleeve-like brake .15 will serve to hold the parts of the hanger in any adjusted position.

The hook I can be foldeddown,'and when'the hanger is fully collapsed it will be of-very small and convenient size.

Having described one embodimentof "the invention, it is obvious that the same is not to be restricted thereto, but is'broad'enough to cover all structures coming withinthe scope of the annexed claims.

What I claim is:

1. A garment hanger having a central portion comprising a wire section: formed with acentral loop, legs extending divergently'from said loop, each of said legs having a guiding eye at its outer end, a flattened stopon each leg near said eye, a pair of end members of substantially U-shape, each end member having a first leg guided through one of the eyes and having an eye through which a leg on the "central loop is guided, each member having a second leg termihating in an eye, each second leg being guided through the eye of its companion leg, and a fric tion-imposing sleeve embracing the second legs of said members and resisting movement of said legs axially through the sleeve.

When it'is' desired to reduce the size M long leg, each of the end portions having a short leg terminating'in an eye, a'central supporting member of wire having a suspension loop and *-divergent legs terminating in an eye, flattened wstop members on the divergent legs, the short legs on the end members being guided through the eyesonthe divergent legs, and the divergent legsbeing guided through the eyes on the short legs of the end members.

3. A garment hanger composed of a wire frame having parts relativelyslidable with respect to one another to thereby increase'or decrease the size-of the frame, some of the parts having elements in overlapped and guided relation, a sleeve fitted on one of the parts, said sleeve having a pair of jaws embracing a second part and through which the second part is slidable, said jaws applying a clamping pressure on the part disposed between them to thereby prevent inadvertent sliding movement of said part axially through the sleeve.

4. A garment hanger composed of a wire frame made up of relatively movable parts to enable'the frame to be increased or decreased References Cited in-the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,673,059 Baler June 12, 1928 2,058,416 Cornstock Oct. 27, 1936 2,420,116 Walters May 6, 1947 2,531,293 Paulsen Nov. 21, 1950 2,547,436 Brock Apr. 3, 1951 2,549,500 McClain Apr. 17, 1951 

